Veronica plant named ‘Allchoice’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Veronica  plant named ‘Allchoice’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely flowering habit; compact and dense inflorescences with numerous soft pink-colored flowers; long flowering period; and used as a garden or container plant.

Botanical designation: Veronica longifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ALLCHOICE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant, botanically known as Veronica longifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Allchoice’.

The new Veronica plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cuijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new attractive Veronica plants that can be used as a garden or container plant.

The new Veronica plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2002 of a proprietary selection of Veronica longifolia identified as code number BP-98, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Veronica longifolia as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Veronica plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands in June, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Veronica plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands, since July, 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Veronica plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Veronica have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Allchoice’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Allchoice’ as a new and distinct Veronica plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely flowering habit.     -   3. Compact and dense inflorescences with numerous soft         pink-colored flowers.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Can be used as a garden or container plant.

Plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant habit as plants of the new Veronica are more uniform than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of Veronica longifolia ‘Alllove’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,478. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cuijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Veronica differed primarily from plants of ‘Alllove’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Veronica had fewer lateral branches than         plants of ‘Alllove’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Veronica were less dense         than inflorescences of ‘Alllove’.     -   3. Plants of the new Veronica and ‘Alllove’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Alllove’ had red purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the Veronica plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Veronica plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Allchoice’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Allchoice’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Allchoice’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown during the spring and early summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Rijswijk, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to averaged 17° C. Plants were five months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica longifolia ‘Allchoice’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Veronica             longifolia identified as code number BP-98, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Veronica             longifolia, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at             temperatures about 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 to 32             days at temperatures about 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Broadly upright inverted triangle;             freely basal branching habit with about 18 main stems;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 40.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 29.2 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 20.7 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 143B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to lanceolate; slightly carinate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Moderately pubescent.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent along the main vein.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation,             close to 143A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Between             137C and 147B; venation, close to 143B.         -   Petiole length.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm by 1.5 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 143C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged on primary and secondary terminal racemes; racemes             compact and dense; flowers face mostly outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering, each terminal branch has             one primary raceme and several secondary racemes; about 250             flowers develop per primary inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about eight             weeks after pinching; long flowering period, flowering             continuous from July to late September in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: Close to 68D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 11 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower height.—About 9 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About four in a single             whorl, petals fused about 40% of the length from the base.             Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to between 73C and 73D.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to between 65B             and 65C; color becoming closer to 65C with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About four in a single             whorl, sepals fused about 5% of the length from the base.             Length: About 2.5 mm to 3 mm. Width: About 0.75 mm. Shape:             Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137A. Fully opened, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 10.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 143C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Aspect: About 45° from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color: Close to 65C.             Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Elliptical. Anther             color: Close to 75D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Clavate. Stigma color:             Close to 83C. Style length: About 7.5 mm. Style color: Close             to 75B. Ovary color: Close to 143A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Veronica. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Veronica have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Veronica     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Veronica have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, high     temperatures of about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone     4. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Veronica plant named ‘Allchoice’ as illustrated and described. 